Vice President John Dramani Mahama
The Overlord of the Gonjaland, Yagbonwura Tuntumba Bore Essa I, has warned the Vice President, John Dramani Mahama, not to meddle in the Gonja chieftaincy affairs but to concentrate on governing the country as the second-man and mind his own political business.
The warning comes in the wake of attempts made by the Northern Regional House of Chiefs to destool the Buipewura, Abdulai Mahama Jinapor II, for allegedly showing gross disrespect to the Yagbonwura and his elders during the council’s last meeting held at Damongo.
It was against this background that the vice president sent a delegation led by John Jinapor, the Veep’s Spokesperson, to the Yagbonwura’s palace to see how best the impasse could be resolved.
The vice president’s delegation, according to sources in the Yagbonwura’s palace, was told by the Gonja overlord to inform the vice president to stop interfering in the chieftaincy dispute in the area.
“Vice President Mahama sent a delegation to the Yagbonwura palace to plead on behalf of the embattled Buipe Chief, Mahama Abdulai Jinapor II, for his alleged misconduct,” the source hinted.
The source also indicated that in plain language the Yagbonwura angrily warned the vice president’s delegation who came to meet him to tell the vice president to stop interfering in the Buipe chieftaincy dispute.
According to the Gonja Traditional Council, political meddling in chieftaincy matters of the Gonjaland could create more problems and confusion among the traditional leaders of the area, especially when it comes to diskinment or enskinment of a chief.
Deep throat sources also hinted that the reason why the Yagbonwura and his council of elders refused to heed to the vice president’s plea was that they saw it as nothing, but an open political interference in the matter and violation of the traditional values of Gonjaland.
Meanwhile, investigations conducted by Today revealed that the Mamprugu Overlord, Nayiri Mahami Bohagu Shariga, who is also the President of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, has appealed to the Yagbonwura and his council to rescind their decision to diskin the Buipewura, but that according to our sorties, has come to naught.
Confirming the story, the Paramount Chief of Damongo, Damongowura JJ Lermi, who is a friend of the embattled Buipe chief, told this paper that the Yagbonwura took the decision in consultation with his council of elders.
“We cannot take any decision without the full representation of the council of elders”, he hinted.
According to him, he was shocked at the behaviour of his best friend (referring to the Buipewura) at the said traditional council meeting.
“I could not fathom what was happening to him, and we were all surprised at his utterances.
He is not like that and I was really shocked about his behaviour”, h added.
At a press conference in Tamale, the Gonja traditional council stated categorically that Mr Mahama Abdulai Jinapor is no more the chief of Buipe, and that the traditional council have enskinned one Baba Jewu Awushi Lebu II, as the new Buipewura.
According to the council, the decision to diskin Mahama Abdulai Jinapor was as result of his gross disrespect to the Yagbonwura and elders of the traditional council.
The Gonja traditional council accused the Buipewura of pulling a gun at the said meeting ground and also threatened to behead a sub-chief for referring to him as ‘Silmawura’, a chieftaincy title he (Mahama Abdulai Jinapor) held before ascending to the Buipe throne.
The spokesperson for the traditional council, Bundawura Alhaji Rashid Sulemana, revealed that the diskinment of Mahama Abdulai Jinapor took effect on the 13th May, 2010 and whoever recognizes him as chief does so at his/her own peril, adding that “the council shall deal with anybody who refers to Mr Mahama Jinapor as the Buipe chief.
“Whoever accords him [Mr Jinapor] the rights and privileges as a chief will be dealt with when caught”, he warned.
The Gonja traditional council has since defied court injunctions that restrain them to carry any enskinment process in Buipe.
But, the spokesperson of the council, Bundawura explained that the court injunction that sought to restrain them from carrying the enskinment process came late.
He however hinted that the Yagbonwura and his council of elders will respect the court injunction.
STORY: FROM HAMZA LANSAH LOLLY, TAMALE
